


How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Pool Day (but only for five minutes or so)

by morethanmending



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Family Fluff, M/M, dads being dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 17:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morethanmending/pseuds/morethanmending
Summary: Ben and Hikaru take Demora to the pool.  Before she can start swimming, however, there is one thing she must endure.





	How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Pool Day (but only for five minutes or so)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt: "Sunny"
> 
> Written for the prompt: "Kids"

\---

The pool was beautiful. Crystal clear water danced under the warm breeze and a handful of people sat lounging in their chairs, heads tipped back and hands lax at their sides as they drank in the sun.

Demora squealed her excitement as they entered through the gate, dropping her towel and floatie as she dashed for the pool.

Quicker than she could blink, an arm looped around her belly and lifted her off her feet, carrying her towards the chairs Ben had claimed. "Not yet," Hikaru said and Demora growled as she hung limp in her father's arms.

"Just wanted to see if it was cold or not," Demora pouted as he set her down on one of the chairs before turning to grab up her dropped items.

"Uh-huh," Ben said. He set his large tote on a nearby table, pulling out a pair of towels for himself and Hikaru. An ancient looking paperback was dropped onto one of the chairs and a pair of water bottles joined the towels. "Like the way you _tested_ the water last time?"

Demora watched as Ben rummaged through the tote, fingers twisting together. "That was an accident," she said, plucking at the little ruffles on her bathing suit. "I tripped and fell in."

"And didn't come out for almost two hours," Hikaru said, plopping down onto a nearby lounger.

"Well, I was already wet," Demora said reasonably, glancing over her shoulder as Hikaru picked up one of the water bottles. "Might as well stay in."

"Aha!" Ben said triumphantly. "Found it." Grinning at Demora, he pulled a tube of sunscreen out of the tote.

Demora groaned loudly. She collapsed onto her chair, arms and legs tucked tight to her body as she grumbled to herself.

"Seriously, Dee," Ben said, sitting on the other end of her lounger. "It'll take five minutes."

"No it won't!" she complained. "It'll take forever because after you put it on you'll make me wait until it 'soaks in'," she said, dropping her voice to mimic Ben's.

Hikaru chuckled and Ben threw him a stern look over the top of his sunglasses.

"And then you'll want to inspect me to make sure I haven't rubbed any of it off," Demora continued.

"The horror," Hikaru murmured, grinning. Ben pursed his lips and tossed the paperback at him. Hikaru caught it easily, setting it on the ground next to his water.

"Dee," Ben wheedled, hand reaching forward to wrap around her ankle. She squeaked as he pulled her leg towards him, uncurling her from the tight ball she'd tangled herself into. She stared up at him, wiping her long bangs from her eyes. "No sunscreen-" He lifted the bottle for her to see. "No pool."

Demora crossed her arms and frowned. "By the time you finish there'll be a million people in the pool. It won't even be worth getting in."

"And by the time you stop driving me crazy I'll be an old man with grey hair," Ben said, leaning forward to rub his nose against Demora's.

She turned her face, struggling to get away from him, but he was too big, too quick, and Demora couldn't help the slow smile that stretched across her face. Fingers poked at her ribs and she shouted, giggling as she tried to push Ben's hands away.

Ben caught her hands in his own, pulling her upright. "Come on," he said, popping the cap on the sunscreen. Demora huffed as she pushed herself to her feet, concrete warm under her bare toes. He squirted a generous dollop onto his hand. "For me?" he asked.

Demora's shoulders slumped and she sighed, heavy and laden with the suffering only a five-year-old could know. "Fine," she mumbled, and Ben smiled as he began painting her skin with the coconut-scented cream.

"You're a trooper," Hikaru said as he tugged his shirt over his head, balling it up before tossing it towards the tote.

"Why doesn't _he_ have to wear sunscreen?" Demora asked, wrinkling her nose as Ben smeared the goop across her face.

"Don't worry," Ben said. "I'll take care of Daddy next."

"Good luck," Demora called to Hikaru before Ben cupped her chin, gently turning her back to face him.

Hikaru caught Ben's eye over Demora's head and winked. "I'll try not to enjoy it too much."

Shaking his head, Ben returned his attention to Demora and Hikaru picked up his abandoned book, thumbing through the crinkled pages until he found his spot.

Demora huffed and tipped her head back, eyes on the blue sky as she waited for her father to finish.

\---

End.


End file.
